The Saints post-season analysis wouldn’t be complete without looking at the teams weakest area last year (linebacker), but I am going to dedicate an entire post to that after this one. Today I want to look at the Safety, Wide Receiver, and Coaching changes (or not) that the Saints made and I am going to attempt to assess how those changes stack up going into next year.
SAFETY:
Additions: Jairus Byrd
Losses: none
Jairus Byrd: wait a minute! We added him last year didn’t we? Yeah… I thought so too. Sadly just as he started to round into shape and really started looking like the guy we paid for (Dallas), he got hurt and was sent to IR. Jairus has had plenty of time to get healthy and I am going to go out on the proverbial limb here and say that not only will I get to watch the player I saw against Dallas last year, but I will get to see something even better. Jairus has all the ability in the world and he has to be chomping at the bit to show that it was not a ‘bust’ signing. The addition of Anthony and Browner is going to have an incredible effect on the Saints Safeties as a whole, but the guy who should benefit most is Jairus who should now be able to re-emerge as the preeminent playmaker at the safety position in the NFL.
WIDE RECEIVER:
Additions: Josh Morgan, Joe Morgan
Losses: Robert Meachem, Kenny Stills
Josh Morgan: Simply put Morgan is a great signing for the Saints not because of the potential production he could bring to the team, but for how he is sure to make the young guys ‘earn it’. In my opinion there are only two young receivers on the roster who are guarunteed their spots: Cooks, and Toon. Cooks is likely going to be a star next year and is going to have a rearview mirror permanatly installed on his helmet so he can keep track of opposing DB’s. Toon on the other hand is just the guy the Saints won’t give up on and last year he finally started to show flashes of the tremendous potential that they have been banking on. The ‘young guns’ are Sentavious Jones, Brandon Coleman, and Joe Morgan.
The Saints are most likely only going to keep 5 WR on the roster this year and that means one of those guys is out of here (my money is on Coleman). So what does this have to do with Morgan? Simple. Josh Morgan won’t be confused for a star in this league, but he is a Vet who has accrued 7 years on NFL rosters and has been a starter. That means he knows how to make a team and he isn’t going to just give up a potential roster spot to the ‘young guns’. Morgan’s job is to be the measuring stick against which Coleman, Jones, and Morgan have to hold themselves. He is going to make them earn their spots and that is a great thing for the Saints. We desperately need some infusion of youth into our receiver corps, but the only way that happens on Payton’s team is if they earn it. For that purpose Morgan is perfect.
Joe Morgan: the prodigal son returns. I could unleash upon you a soliloquy so laced with hyperbole that you may well consider killing me (sometimes I just decide to rhyme) in an attempt to depict how tremendous the talent that Joe Morgan has been blessed with truly is. Thankfully there is no need for that. I can sum up Morgan’s potential value to the team in two plays. Two 60 plus yard plays…in the same game…last year. Saints fans are very familiar with the enigma that is Joseph Morgan. Is he the perfect deep threat that Payton and Brees have been hoping for? A player who can make insane circus catches and spectacular plays with ease, or is a knuckle head who can’t stay out of his own way? The questions with Morgan aren’t about his talent, he has demonstrated that beyond contestation, however what he needs to show both his coaches and his teammates is that he has grown up and is ready to treat football like his job. If there is one characteristic that has defined Colston beyond any other it is his professionalism. The best possible thing he can do is try to emulate the ‘Quiet Storm’ as much as possible. Let us as fans hope that he can, because Morgan is a rare game breaker who could take the Saints offense to a level we haven’t seen in a few years.
Robert Meachem: As much as I gave him hell last year and constantly questioned why he was even on the team, much less seeing the field, I won’t give him the Corey White treatment. Frankly he deserves nothing less than a fond farewell and a thank you for his years of service to the team. Meachem has given us some spectacular highlight plays over the years, but even in his ‘prime’ the mistakes often exceeded the successes. As he grew older Meachem really just filled two roles; offensive lineman who can run downfield (run blocker), and guy who Sean keeps around because he helped him win a ring. The Saints are no longer in a position where being a ‘trusted vet’ is enough to warrant a roster spot. At the end of the day what you do on the field will always reign supreme and Meachem simply doesn’t bring that value anymore. Still he should be remembered as a champion and one of the best guys the Saints have employed. I wish him well in his future endeavors and thank him for his years of service.
Kenny Stills: The loss of the Saints ‘Pony’ is certainly a blow. I do believe that the Saints will be able to replace Stills production, however Kenny was definitely one of the better receivers the Saints have had in the SP era and the team will definitely need someone to step up. Kenny was the team’s leading receiver last year and when he was on, man he was on. Based on what we have learned about the Saints off-season moves the Kenny Stills trade was done at least in part because of his attitude. That isn’t necessarily to say Kenny had a ‘poor’ attitude and was getting a big ego or anything like that. However, what the move does say about the team’s opinion of Stills is that they believe his ‘southern California’ attitude is a poor fit with the organization and his on again/ off again performances are not what they are interested in. The overriding theme for the off-season has been getting guys who ‘love football’ and Stills has certainly raised some questions within the Saints staff on whether or not he falls into that category. I will miss him (until someone steps up and takes his place at least), but if I am being honest I kind of agree with the move. South Beach may just be a little more Kenny’s speed and that is fine. I can honestly wish Stills the best, but as far as losses go I believe the Saints broke even. They will be able to replace his production elsewhere in the offense.
COACHES:
There was actually a decent bit of upheaval in the Saints coaching staff this past year (about time too), and I don’t believe I am qualified to break down each move with enough detail or expertise to do them justice. Instead I am only going to focus on two additions in particular: head defensive assistant Dennis Allen, and defensive assistant/linebackers coach James Willis.
Dennis Allen: Allen was the Saints secondary coach when they won the Super Bowl in 2009, he was also the man who was most responsible for the Broncos winning a playoff game with Tim Tebow as the starter. Allen is every bit the defensive wizard that Rob Ryan is, but I believe him to be a bit more of a conservative coach and less ‘exotic’ than Ryan. That is why he is an ideal addition to the coaching staff. Much like Jeff Ireland acted as a foil for Payton and Loomis who wanted to be aggressive in the draft I believe Allen will help Rob stay grounded.
Outside of that, what I truly believe is the greatest value brought by Coach Allen’s addition is the fact that both he and Rob will be able to spend a lot more time actually coaching (in other words teaching) their players. Allen has a background a secondary coach and I believe he will now be overseeing that area of the defense in particular. Ryan’s background is as a Linebackers coach (and he was a damn good one) and with the addition of Allen the work load on him should be reduced enough that he is able to spend much more time helping the Saints linebackers not be an unmitigated disaster this year. Allen simply brings value on multiple levels as he should be a great asset to both the players as well as his fellow coaches. I expect great things from them.
James Willis: the only part of Willis’s title I truly care about is that he was singled out as a linebacker coach. The more people they can get around our linebackers who aren’t named Joe Vitt the better. Vitt’s track record has been covered ad nauseam this off-season by blogger’s all over the net, and in particular by Bigeasybeliever.com ‘s Barry Hirstius (he did a great piece on just how little above average talent Vitt hs produced). I’m not saying Vitt needs to be fired because I DO believe he brings the team value, but they clearly need coaches who are better in the area of development than him. Willis not only played the position in the NFL but he coached an incredible talent in Rolando McClain to becoming a key component of the Crimson Tide’s 2009 national championship. His hiring may be ideal as the Saints just acquired a player whose talent might dwarf even McClain’s in Stephone Anthony. If he can produce the same kind of results with Anthony that he did with McClain then I vote we replace the Benson statue with one of Willis (mostly joking there).
Saints outlook for 2015:
I truly believe that the addition of Dennis Allen will positively impact the Saints defense as much as any other move made this year. I think the combination of him and RR working together could be something special, and the fact that the Saints have now added personnel that fit what Allen is going to want to do in the Secondary further reinforces that idea. Adding another Linebacker coach who can maybe shield our young guys from ‘the curse of Vitt’ is also a plus, but only time will tell if Willis is able to help the team at all. What will really make a difference though is if the Saints young WR’s are able to step up and realize their potentials this year in order to give this offense the kind of punch from a personnel standpoint it hasn’t had in years (maybe ever). The return of Jairus Byrd (please be healthy!) is also huge as he adds another piece for the coaches to play with and is also just a tremendous football player…when he is on the field (no really…stay healthy). The Saints moves to this point have me cautiously optimistic that 2014 was a blip and not a trend. Let’s hope I’m not wrong.
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